Draught excluders



March 4, 1969 R. CLAPHAM DRAUGHT EXCLUDERS Original Filed Sept. 8, 1964 n I a 3 5 United States Patent 6 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A trim beading is formed with a resilient frame of wire looped back and forth transversely and covered with a flexible material leaving the ends of the wire loops exposed so that when the frame and covering material are bent into a U-shape and the exposed loop ends turned obliquely into the U, the end loops of wire engage the surfaces of a structural edge over which the beading is pressed to hold the beading in place.

This is a continuation of application Ser. No. 394,990 filed Sept. 8, 1964, now abandoned.

This invention relates to mouldings or headings for protecting raw edges of structures, which may be utilized in or around door frames or like structures, for example, windows, and more especially, but not exclusively, to be used to protect or cover projecting edges of metal panels forming part, for example, of the interior of motor car or aircraft bodies, for which they povide not only a protective trimming or beading, but in addition, can act as part of a draught excluding or weathering device when used on door or like structures.

Draught excluders for such aforementioned purposes are well known and one such device comprises a channelshaped member, to one outer surface of which a rubber or like strip is secured, the free ends of the channel member having flanges adapted to enclose the edge of a panel or like structure, for example, forming part of a motor car body, the member being formed of an open mesh wire carrier, knitted onto cotton or like threads, the wire running in zig-zag fashion along the length of the device, the ends of the wire protruding along both longitudinal edges of the carrier being of rounded formation.

It has been suggested, in order to improve the gripping properties of such a known device, to cover the wire channel member with a rubber or synthetic plastic section covering, the ends of which covering are inturned over the free ends of the channel member to form the necessary draught excluding gripping means; alternatively, it has been suggested to provide an open mesh wire carrier covered by a woven cotton, or like material, in which locking threads are provided in the weaving pattern along the selvedge.

The objects of the invention are to make a more economical beading that is inexpensive to manufacture and easy to install and that retains itself securely in place on a structural edge on which it is placed. Also an object of the invention is to combine these desirable features with an attractive appearing beading that can be provided with a Weatherstrip or draught excluder.

According to the present invention, a protective moulding or heading comprises a carrier consisting of wire bent into zig-zag formation and a flexible material support, the wire and support being secured together, the loops of the zig-zags protruding along each longitudinal edge of the carrier beyond the support, the carrier itself being bent into U or channel formation, the free end of each arm of the U being inturned to provide, due to the resiliency of "ice the said wire loops, the sole means for anchoring the mouldings or headings in operative position to provide an edge trimming material.

The support may consist of cotton or like threads knitted into the zigzag wire, the arrangement being such that the knitted threads leave a protruding loop portion of wire along each longitudinal edge of the device; preferably the protruding loop portions are flattened or ground so as to provide a greater frictional grip between the carrier and the raw edge or structure to which the device is to be applied.

Alternatively, the support may consist of adhesive tape or paper, or a thin natural or synthetic rubber sheet, the former adhering naturally to the wire, while the latter is either adhesively secured to the wire or vulcanized thereonto. The adhesive tape or paper, or the natural or synthetic rubber sheet, may be applied to one or both surfaces of the zig-zag wire. As a further alternative, the support may consist of plastics material which is extruded on to the wire as the latter is given zig-zag formation. In yet a further arrangement, the support may consist of paper threads which form warp threads woven into the zig-zag wire formation.

In order to provide a more pleasing or aesthetic appearance to the moulding or beading, the outer surface of the support may have applied thereto a covering of any desired material, for example of woven fabric, natural or synthetic rubber, or extruded plastics material. When such a moulding or heading is to form part of a draught excluding device, the outer surface of one limb of the U or channel has secured thereto a rubber or like strip which, when the moulding or heading is protecting the raw edge of a door frame or like structure, jams against the door, or like structure, when the said door, or like structure is closed.

Generally, the inventive beading includes the following features: a resilient frame of wire looped back and forth transversely of the beading with threads knitted into the frame to retain such looped configuration; a flexible material secured to the frame to leave the end loops of wire extending beyond the covering material; the frame and flexible covering being formed into a U-shaped channel; and theend loops of the frame being bent back upon themselves and extended obliquely into the channel with the end loops from each edge of the channel being approximately colinear to engage opposite surfaces of a structural edge to anchor the heading in place.

To these and other ends the invention resides in certain improvements and combinations, all as will be hereinafter more fully described, the novel features being pointed out in the claims at the end of this specification.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a vertical section of the moulding or heading in position against a panel.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view,

FIG. 3 a developed view of the wire carrier, showing part of the knitted cotton, or like threads,

FIG. 4 a vertical section of the moulding or beading shown in FIG. 1, with a rubber or like strip, so as to form a draught excluder or weathering strip, and

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 3, showing a modified form of support.

Referring to FIGS. l3, a protective moulding or heading comprises a carrier shown generally at 1, formed of wire 2, which is of zig-zag formation, and which is knitted into (see FIG. 3) cotton threads 3. It will be noted from the said figure, that where the Wire 2 is zig-zagged back on itself, there is provided along each longitudinal edge of the carrier a Wire loop 4, which is not knitted into the fabric, and which is of rounded section.

The knitted wire carrier 1 is bent into U or channel section, as is clearly seen from FIG. 1, and adjacent each longitudinal edge the loops 4 are inturned, the edges of the loops being flattened, for example by grinding, to provide gripping surfaces 5, which are adapted frictionally to engage on either side of a panel 6, which panel may form part of a motor car body.

The wire carrier 1 as shown particularly in FIGS. 1 and 2, is itself covered by a covering 7, which may be of any desired material to give a pleasing effect, for example, the covering may be of extruded plastics (FIG. 1), or of rubber or woven fabric (FIG. 2).

As shown in FIG. 5 instead of the support consisting of knitted threads, the support consists of a strip of adhesive tape 9 secured on the outer surface of the zigzag wire formation; it will of course be obvious that a similar strip of adhesive tape can be secured on the inner surface of the zig-zag wire. Again, as previously stated, the support can take the form of rubber, natural or synthetic, adhesively or otherwise secured to one or both surfaces of the zig-zag Wire, or it can take the form of a plastics material which is extruded on to the Wire as it is being formed into the zig-zag and, finally, the support may consist of paper threads which form warp threads woven into the zig-zag wire formation.

In order to allow the moulding or beading, as shown in any of FIGS. 1-3 and FIG. 5, to act as a draught excluder, the arrangement shown in FIG. 4 is preferred; in this figure, a rubber or like strip 8 is secured to one limb of the moulding or beading, the strip, when the moulding or heading is fitted to the raw edge of a door frame or like structure, jamming against the door or like structure when the said door is closed. Also, as shown in FIG. 4, the loops 4 of the wire carrier 1 are bent right back over a short length, and then the free ends are turned towards the center of the U or channel section, to abut the raw edge to be protected.

It will be appreciated that with a moulding or beading constructed in accordance with the present invention, whether or not it includes a rubber or like strip to allow it to act, in addition, as a draught excluder, the sole anchoring means to maintain the device in operative position, are the surfaces of the loops 4 on the wire carrier 1. When the rubber, or plastic strip, is provided to allow the device to act, in addition, as a draught excluder, a very simple construction is provided, and one which will withstand considerable force which may be applied thereto, during normal use in position on, for example, a motor car body, it being understood that the provision of locking thread cords along the selvedge of the cover, are no longer needed.

While the invention has been disclosed herein by reference to the details of a preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that such disclosure is intended in an illustrative, rather than a limiting sense, and it is contemplated that various modifications of the construction and arrangement of the parts will readily occur to those skilled in the art, within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A beading adapted to trim a structural edge of automobiles and the like, said beading comprising:

a resilient supporting frame of wire looped back and forth transversely of said beading to form longitudinally spaced cross strands connected by end loops;

threads knitted into said frame to interlock said strands in said looped configuration;

a flexible material secured to said frame;

said strands and end loops extending substantially beyond the longitudinal edges of said flexible material;

said frame and said flexible material being formed into a channel substantially U-shaped in cross section with said flexible material disposed on the out side of said channel; and

said strands being bent back upon themselves at each of the free edges of said channel and formed to extend obliquely a substantial distance into said channel to dispose said end loops resiliently and obliquely inside said channel with said end loops from each respective edge of said channel being approximately colinear within said channel so that said end loops resiliently engage opposite surfaces of said structural edge to anchor said beading in place.

2. The beading of claim 1 wherein said end loops are ground to provide a biting edge arranged for cutting into said surfaces of said structural edge.

3. The beading of claim 1 having a ridge of resilient material arranged along one side of said beading to form a weather-strip.

4. The beading of claim 1 wherein said flexible material comprises plastic covering material extruded onto said frame.

5. The beading of claim 1 wherein the outer surface of said flexible material is covered by a covering material.

6. The beading of claim 1 wherein said flexible mate- 40 rial comprises a rubber web secured to said frame.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,699,582 1/1955 Schlegel 49-4-91 2,954,310 9/1960 Truesdell et al. 161-100 3,091,821 6/1963 Cook 49-491 X 3,167,825 2/1965 Zoller 49-490 3,172,800 3/1965 Truesdell 161100 X 3,198,689 8/1965 Lansing 49-500 X DAVID J. WILLIAMOWSKY, Primary Examiner.

PHILIP C. KANNAN, Assistant Examiner.

US. 01. X.R. 24 25s 

